Expansible box-form.



No. 710,975. Patented Oct. 14, 1902.

0. W. HOBBS. EXPANSIBLE BOX FORM.

(Appliction filed Jan. 8, 1901.)

(lo Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. HOBBS, OF W'ORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,

EXPANSlBLE BOX-FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,975, dated October14, 1902.

Application filed January 8, 1901. Serial No. 42,464. (No model.)

To (0Z4 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. HoBBs, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates,residing atWorcester, in the county of "Worcester andCommonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in. Expansible BOX- Forms, of which the following is aspecification, accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same, inwhich Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an expansible box-formembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is acentral sectional view on line 33, Figs. 2 and 4. Fig. 4 is a sectionalview on line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of theblock for supporting the actuating beveled pinion by which the length ofthe box-form is varied.

Similar reference-figures refer to similar parts in the different views.

My present invention relates to an expansible box-form for supportingpaper boxes while being covered in a box-covering machine; and it hasfor its object to render the box-form capable of being varied in size inorder to fit different-sized boxes, and my invention consists in theconstruction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described, and setforth in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes angle-plates formingthe corners of the box-form and pivotally connected to rackbars 2 2,which are capable of a longitudinal sliding motion in plates 3 3 4 4.The rackbars 2 2 are engaged by pinions 5 5, which are attached to ahollow shaft 6, and the rackbars 2 are engaged by pinions 7 7, attachedto a sleeve 8, capable of turning upon the hollow shaft 6. The hollowshaft 6 carries a beveled gear 9, and the sleeve 8 carries a beveledgear 10, which are engaged by a beveled pinion 11, carried in a block12, supported upon the sleeve 8 and provided with a projecting arm 13,which supports a beveled pinion 14,which turns freely upon a screw 15,held in the end of the arm 13. The beveled pinion 14 engages upon itsdiametrically opposite sides the sectors 16 17, the sector 16 beingattached to one of the plates 3 and the sector 17 being attached to oneof the plates 4. The hub 18 of the beveled pinion 14 is provided with asquare socket 19, adapted to receive a wrench by which the pinion 11 isturned in order to rotate the hollow shaft 6 and its attached pinions 55 and the sleeve 8 and its attached pinions 7 7, whereby a longitudinalmotion is imparted to the rack-bars 2 and 2, causing the distancebetween the angle-plates 1 at the ends of the box-form to be varied inorder to shorten or lengthen the box-form.

At one end of the box-form the angle-plates 1 1 are connected by atelescoping screw, as shown in Fig. 3. To one of the angle-plates isattached a plate 20,having a projecting hub 21, provided with aninternal screw-thread 22 to receive a hollow screw 23. The screw 23 isalso provided with an internal screwthread 24, adapted to receive ascrew 25, provided with a head 26, journaled in a plate 2'7, which isattached to an angle-plate 1 at the opposite corner of the box-form. Thehead 26 is provided with a square socket 26, adapted to receive a wrenchby which the screws 23 and 25 are turned. When the screw 25 has beenscrewed into the hollow screw 23, thereby bringing the end of the hollowscrew 23 against the head-26, the rotation of the head 26 will then beimparted to the hollow screw 23, causing it to be screwed in the hub 21,and the connected angle-plates 1 1 will therefore be drawn together orseparated by the action of the telescoping screws 23 and 25, therebyincreasing or descreasing the width of the box-form. As the angle-platesl l are separated by the action of the screws 23 and 25 to increase thewidth of the box the plates 3 3 and 4 4, in which the rack-bars 2 and 2slide, are rocked about a common axis, thereby increasing the angleformed by each pair of rack-bars. The plates 4 4 are united by a sleeve29, so that the plates 4 4 will rock together as the width of thebox-form is increased, while the plates 3 3 have an independent rockingmotion about the pinions 5 '5. The plates 3 3 and 44 are caused to rockuniformly about a common axis by means'of the geared sectors 16 and 17,which engage the pinion 14. The angle-plates 1 1 at each side of thebox-form are connected together by the pivoted bars 30, which arecapable of opening and closing as the angle-plates at the opposite endsof the box-form are separated or brought nearer together, and theangle-plates 1 l at each end of the box-form are connected by pivotedlinks 31 31.

The angle-bars 1 1 are separated by rotating the beveled pinion 11 inone direction to longitudinally move the rack-bars in order to increasethe length of the box and in the opposite direction to reduce itslength, and the width of the box-form is varied by applying a wrench tothe rotating head 26 and actuating the telescoping screws 23 and 25.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an eXpansible box-form for box-covering machines, the combinationof plates forming corners of the form, bars pivoted at their ends to theopposite ends of said plates and capable of longitudinally sliding inways to vary the length of the box-form, plates provided with ways forsaid sliding bars and capable of rocking about a common axis, means forsimultaneously rocking said plates,whereby the angle of said slidingbars is simultane- -ously changed on opposite sides of the box form,substantially as described.

2. In an expansible box-form for box-covering machines, the combinationof two pairs of rocking plates on opposite sides of the boxform andprovided with ways for longitudinally-sliding bars, a pair of slidingbars held in each of said plates, angle-plates carried by the ends ofsaid bars to form the corners of the box-form, means for simultaneouslysliding said bars in their ways to vary the length of the box-form andmeans for simultaneously rocking said plates to change the angle betweensaid angle-bars and vary the Width of the box-form, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of plates 1, 1, sliding rack-bars 2 and 2 arranged inpairs and pivoted at their ends to said plates, two pairs of pinionsengaging said rack-bars, means for rotating the pinions of each pairsimultaneously in opposite directions, plates provided with ways forsaid rack-bars, and means for rocking said plates concentrically withsaid pinions, to vary the angle between said pairs of rack-bars,substantially as described.

4. In an expansible box-form, the combina tion of plates 1, 1, at thecorners, means for varying the distance between the plates at one end ofthe form, and consisting of the telescoping screws 23 and 25, and ascrewthreaded hub 21, sliding bars pivoted to said plates, plates havingways for said bars and capable of rocking about a common axis,substantially as described.

5. The combination of a pair of plates 3, 3, having ways for rack-bars,a pair of plates 4, 4, connected by a sleeve, said plates having waysfor rack bars, means for rocking said pairs of plates simultaneously inopposite directions, rack-bars held in said Ways, a hollow shaftconcentric with the axes of said plates, pinions carried by said shaft,and engaging the rack-bars held in one pair of said plates, a sleeveturning on said hollow shaft, pinions carried by said sleeve andengaging the other pair of rack-bars, plates pivotally attached to theends of said rack-bars, means for rotating said pinions and means forrocking the plates 3, 3, and 4, 41, substantially as described.

6. In an expansible box-form, the combination with rocking platescarrying sliding rack bars, sliding rack bars held in said plates,segmental racks carried by said plates and a pinion in engagement withsaid racks, whereby the rocking movement of one of said plates isimparted to the other plate in the opposite direction, in order to varythe angle between said rack-bars, substantially as described.

7. The combination of hollow shaft 6, pinions 5, 5, carried by saidshaft, sleeve 8 inclosing said shaft, pinions 7, 7, carried by saidsleeve, a beveled gear carried by said I hollow shaft, a beveled gearcarried by said sleeve, a pinion 11, engaging said beveled gears,whereby said gears are simultaneously rotated, rack-bars engaged by saidpinions 5, 5, and 7, 7, angle-plates pivoted to the ends of saidrack-bars, plates provided with ways in which said rack-bars are heldand means for rocking said plates about a common axis, substantially asdescribed.

Dated this 3d day of January, 1901.

CLARENCE W. HOBBS.

Witnesses:

RUFUS B. FOWLER, FLORENCE C. COOK.

